Mae Hong Son Loop (again) Day 1

Tanja, the Russian girl who I met through Couchsurfing, and I planned to do the Mae Hong Son loop, a really nice motorbike loop which I did two years ago.

We met for lunch and then drove up Doi Inthanon to the highest point in all of Thailand (it was really really cold) then back down to a small town called Mae Chaem. We checked in to a guesthouse and walked around. We stumbled upon a group of locals unloaded thousands of fresh garlic from the back of a truck and hanging it in a huge wooden barn. We stayed with them for a while and tried out best to communicate. They were very welcoming and I got some great portraits including this guy smoking. He offered me a try of the cigarette and I tried it but immediately regretted it. I've never smoked but I thought when in Rome...

We later learned that they are storing the garlic to dry it. Not only does it sell for more when dried, but it means they can sell it during the off-season when it's more in demand.